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The Gods Themselves

The Gods Themselves

List Price: $7.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awards winning novel from the grand master of SF
Review: I knew Asimov's work mostly through his Robot stories and the Foundation series, so I thought it was about time to read one of his independent standing novels. What better way than to start with his Hugo and Nebula awards winning novel from the early 70ies?

'The Gods Themselves' is about abundance of free energy and the dangers caused by it. Although on the surface it looks like a hard science novel, the science is only used to describe a too frequent human behavior: in face of free energy, would humanity become careless and threaten the existence of the very planet they live on?

Asimov described this in three parts; all parts could even stand as (nearly) independent from each other, although they share the same history, but (mostly) different characters.

The first part is about the invention of the Electron Pump which sucks energy from a parallel Universe, and about how an outlaw scientist discovers the dangers related to the Pump and therefore will be discredited by the scientific community. The third part is about how the problem will be solved on the moon by another discredited scientist and a lunar intuitionist.

The best part, according to most critics (including me), is the middle part, where the very strange inhabitants of the parallel Universe are described. Which starts as a very hard read (not only are the aliens so different, even the physical properties of their Universe are different), develops into one of the most accomplished created alien races of all times and shows that Asimov was a true visionary.

Now, nearly 30 years after the birth of this novel, some of the (human) characters seem a bit dated, but apart from that, Asimov makes us think a lot and proves beyond doubt that he was - together with Arthur C. Clarke - the undisputed king of science fiction.


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The all time grandmaster speaks
Review: Asimov was the all time master of the American sf of his era. Like all good teenage boys I really enjoyed the puzzling Foundation books. But the poor guy's world came to a shuddering halt with the arrival of the new wave in this continent and new worlds in the UK. Young sf writers were cross-pollinating with the high literature of the time, avant garde art and political vangardism. To them Asimov's sf simply wasn't up to the tasks they set themselves.

This book is Asimov's answer to the sf revolutionaries. For the tasks he set himself, his stories were simply the best. And the really nice thing is his answer is set in a fairly accurate picture of the world of academic science, with tightly drawn and believable characters. (I wish people in science studies would read this book because it's written by a scientist who says everything they do but doesn't throw the baby out with the bath water.) When you put these together with his aliens in the parallel universe, you get one of the most ambitious and imaginative books he ever wrote. I'm still not sure about the science (why exactly do the aliens take the chemicals laid out in labs and not distributed throughout the universe). But it's a cut above Heinlein's in Stranger in a Strange Land.

It's thirty years later and this book still breathes. Enjoy.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Better as 3 Stories
Review: Asimov presents very convincing character development, pulling the reader in and presenting many interesting twists. Sometimes the physics was a big overwhelming, and I had to reread certain passages a number of times, and remember back to Atomic Mass theory. I was particularly intrigued with the emerging environmental consciousness presented: ideas of future renewable, free energy sources, in a metaphor for our current unquestionable unquenchable pursuit of nonrenewable resources, within the ever-present myth of a free lunch.

Asimov explores many possibilities in the human and alien psyche, considering how our negative impulses can push us on to greatness- great glory, or great tragedy. He investigates how the perceptions of who we are will change with time- the perceptions of others, and our self-perception. I was engrossed- I wanted to know what was going to happen next to these characters that I cared about. And what happened next, especially at the end of the units, was usually not what I expected. It is a well written novel. And therein lies the flaw.

Perhaps if the characters weren't so well portrayed, it wouldn't matter that we never get to find out what happens to them. This is written more as three separate stories, around a common theme, rather than a novel. And the three stories themselves are more slice-of-life than the traditional Western novella genre. So we begin to care a great deal about character, only to see him disappear at the end of the first unit, and only be tangentially mentioned in the third unit. Then we get a very interesting display of a completely foreign and alien psychology and anthropology, with 3 mates in one, and a complicated lifecycle- only to have a surprise at the end of the second unit, never fully explained, and the aliens never really again mentioned. And in the third unit, with a long rendition of what life is like on the moon, we focus on a character tangentially mentioned in the first unit- and in this story, there is at least some completion, albeit with unfortunate gratuitous dwelling on nudity. Each would be quite good alone, with extra material added. But I'm left feeling that this is an unfinished novel- worse, 3 unfinished novels. I'd rather have the author finish his own work, and not be made to complete the novel for him.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Asimov Himself
Review: There are many topics present in THE GODS THEMSELVES that will be familiar to anyone who has read a good number of the late, great Isaac Asimov's work. Back-stabbing in the academic world, scientific progress, human folly, fear of outsiders and other themes can be found, not only here, but in countless other short stories and novels written by the good doctor. Using his accustomed pieces as a springboard, Asimov created in this book an almost epic tale of human hubris as it tries to take advantage of a science that it doesn't even understand. Despite having a few minor misgivings with the conclusion, I felt that this ranked right up there with the best of his stories.

The book is divided into three sections, each telling part of the tale, and each featuring its own cast of characters. Asimov was clever enough to weave the story carefully so that we get the various portions from three different points of view (this is even cleverer in the middle section but you'll have to read it to find out how). The themes and tones established at the beginning manage to thread their way through effortlessly, which is quite an achievement given how wildly different the three sections are in terms of setting, characters, and motivations.

The middle section of the three could almost be left on the cutting room floor as far as the rest of the plot is concerned. There is virtually nothing here that isn't revealed or repeated in the other two sections. But it is this alien-centric passage that makes this book the classic that it is today. Aliens in science-fiction stories can generally fall into two main categories. In the first, there are the aliens who look, act and sound exactly like human beings, with the only real difference being that they have pieces of plastic on their foreheads, or can see in the dark, or something else trivial like that. They don't really have dissimilar minds to humans; they don't think differently. The second group is the race of creatures of which every individual member is just like every other (watch any episode of Star Trek to see the war-like aliens, or the peace-loving aliens, or the scientific aliens, etc.). Yet, Asimov managed to do something really special here. He created a race of beings that are certainly much different from what we would describe as human, but he also made them into interesting individuals. A triple-gendered species is a difficult concept to develop (especially in novel form), but Asimov did a terrific job here at describing the genders in terms of general archetypes, and then making the individuals interesting in their own right, regardless of their alienness.

One of the only things that I didn't think lived up to the quality of the rest was the ease of the resolution. It's a bit too simple and slightly too neat. The conclusion makes logical and scientific sense, but one doesn't get the impression of any real emotion. It's as if the main characters can really be bothered to get excited over the impending destruction of the solar system. There's also a subplot that only really gets going very near to the end causing it to appear to have come out of nowhere. These aren't really major flaws, but they do cause a little but of a comedown after the wonder on display in the first two sections. It felt a bit as though Asimov had really let himself go wild in the beginning and middle parts, and then forced himself to reign in his story by the end. A little disappointing, but this is still quite a captivating ride.

Like many of Asimov's novels, this is a great book for fans of science fiction or for newcomers to the genre. There's a little bit of High School physics on display, but don't let that intimidate you, as Asimov's deceptively simple writing style is what made him such a great teacher of all things scientific. If you've never had the pleasure of reading any of this author's work before, then THE GODS THEMSELVES would be a great place to start. Several of Asimov's favorite subjects are offered here, and this will give you a great overview of his style of storytelling.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: three stories, tied together
Review: As you can read from the jacket of The Gods Themselves, something bad is going to happen to Earth and only three "people" know about it--an Earth scientist, an alien, and someone from the Moon. What is really unique about this book is that it is basically three different stories that are tied together with only the common thread that the main character of each story knows of this imminent disaster that will befall Earth.

For the most part, I don't like to read short story sci-fi. I just don't like the idea that the story can't get very developed and you can't REALLY get to know the characters. So, when I first started to realize how Gods is organized, I didn't think that it would end up being that great. However, I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised; all three stories are really quite good. Also, they all have many similar ideas (other than the disaster thing) that almost make them seem like one story told from three different perspectives (in a sort of socio-political way).

The first story has great characters and is sort of a setup for the rest of the book. The second story has some really interesting aliens--not just your run-of-the-mill, humanoid, Star Trek-type aliens. Actually, I would say that the aliens in this book are in the top three as far as uniqueness. The final story wraps everything up. It also has a few more good characters and some interesting ideas about life on the moon.

I gave The Gods Themselves four stars because the book is good, but not really anything to write home about. If you're in the mood for a short book, that's easy to read, and has some interesting ideas, or if you just want to read about cool aliens, then I would recommend it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: It's been a while since I read any of Asimov's books - the Foundation series has always been one of my favorite science fiction series. Therefore, I decided to read another classic of Asimov (or at least, so I've been told). "The Gods Themselves" didn't surprise me, yet I was also surprised. Why? Well, the book was terrific, definitely one of Isaac Asimov's greatest novels. But also, I was surprised to see such an amazing description of a fascinating alien society - Asimov usually does not like to write about aliens (at least, that's the impression I've gotten from reading his books), but the "alien part" of the book was SO good, and so well conceived and written, it made me wish Asimov would've written more books in this style.

What is the book about? The book contains 3 parts, each is actually a separate story which revolve around the same theme.
The first part tells the story of Dr. Peter Lamont, a physicist, which recalls how the "Electric Pump", a device which enables receiving a near-infinite amount of energy as a result of matter transferral between our universe, and another universe which has different laws of nature. Lamont finds that this device might destroy our solar system, and this story depicts his attempt to stop the pump. I really liked this story. It's written in typical Asimov style: witty, humorous and totally brilliant.

The second part tells the story of Odeen, Dua and Tritt - an alien "Triplet" (3 beings which are a family). These aliens live in the other universe and the story describes what happens on this side of the pump (as a result of the events from part one). As I mentioned before, this part was truly amazing. I wish Asimov had written more books about this world, as he created such a fascinating universe. You have to read it to see what I mean.

The third and final part, tells the story of Denison, a scientist which also appeared in the first part, and as a result of events which occured there, moved to the moon. I found this part a bit boring. This part resolves the story lines from parts one and two.


I wholeheartly recommend this book, if only for the second part. Asimov being a professor, this book is filled with real science in a way which integrates with the plot and supports it (contrary to "technobabble" use of science) - this is one of the reasons the book is so good. The only thing which bothered me a bit, is that the first and second parts aren't really resolved on their own, meaning, the story ends only after the third part is over. This disappointed me, because these really were the best parts of the book and I felt somewhat cheated that I could not see how the protagonists reacted to what happened in the end. Nevertheless, this only detracts a little from the book which is still a masterpiece.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: three stories, tied together
Review: As you can read from the jacket of The Gods Themselves, something bad is going to happen to Earth and only three "people" know about it--an Earth scientist, an alien, and someone from the Moon. What is really unique about this book is that it is basically three different stories that are tied together with only the common thread that the main character of each story knows of this imminent disaster that will befall Earth.

For the most part, I don't like to read short story sci-fi. I just don't like the idea that the story can't get very developed and you can't REALLY get to know the characters. So, when I first started to realize how Gods is organized, I didn't think that it would end up being that great. However, I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised; all three stories are really quite good. Also, they all have many similar ideas (other than the disaster thing) that almost make them seem like one story told from three different perspectives (in a sort of socio-political way).

The first story has great characters and is sort of a setup for the rest of the book. The second story has some really interesting aliens--not just your run-of-the-mill, humanoid, Star Trek-type aliens. Actually, I would say that the aliens in this book are in the top three as far as uniqueness. The final story wraps everything up. It also has a few more good characters and some interesting ideas about life on the moon.

I gave The Gods Themselves four stars because the book is good, but not really anything to write home about. If you're in the mood for a short book, that's easy to read, and has some interesting ideas, or if you just want to read about cool aliens, then I would recommend it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The other readers are missing the point.
Review: AGAINST STUPIDITY THE GODS THEMSELVES CONTEND IN VAIN. The book is about stupidity, stupidity, stupidity. Like Pounelle and Niven said in "Oath of Fealty" "Stupidity, Think of it as EVOLUTION in Action" The impact of our actions is where selection meets the road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Of Asimov's Sci-Fi, one of his best novels
Review: The good doctor was not the best of writers when it came to character development. Many of his books have excellent plots, but weak, cartoonish characters that could be found in any pulp novel. But "The Gods Themselves" really breaks out of Asimov's usual mold. It's bold; alien characters with three sexes (and a description of how they do it) and an exciting parallel story that merges in surprising ways. While not my favorite of Asimov's books, I respect this novel for its creative delights. A good tale, interesting concepts, some of the best sci-fi Asimov wrote.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Science and Sex Do Mix
Review: The good doctor, over his lifetime, wrote more books than many people read in their lifetimes. Many were excellent explanations of various aspects of science written in language that a layman could understand. Some were good analyses of literature, such as Shakespeare and the Bible. But it is his science fiction works, from his vision of a Foundation to Robots imbued with Three Laws, that guarantee him a place in the hearts of fans of the genre, and a fame that spreads well beyond its boundaries.

This book was something of a departure for him, not being related to any of his other SF works, but still shows his sure hand at plotting and his deft melding of real science with a literally out-of-this-world idea. The story is told in three completely different segments, related only by the commonality of the scientific idea that drives this book, the Electron Pump, a device that can, apparently, deliver infinite free energy by trading material with a universe that operates on slightly different physical laws than our own.

The first segment is a beautiful glimpse into the sometimes not-so-nice world of the academic researcher, into who gets credit (not necessarily the deserving one) for an idea, how animosities begin and are nurtured, about the crassness of public policy being determined by those who do not and cannot understand the basics of the science that delivers the technological goodies.

The second segment is the part that makes this book deserving of its Hugo Award. Shifting from our universe to the para-universe that initiated the transfer that began the Electron Pump, Asimov invents a truly alien race that is at once believable and violently different from our own. Here we meet Odeen, Tritt, and Dua, who each form one part of tri-sexed whole. Each of these beings becomes a real person, from Tritt, the stolid, stubborn parent, Odeen as the absent minded thinker, and most especially Dua as the feeling, capricious, different one. Part of what makes this section so seductive is that Asimov has not just stated that this was tri-sexed species, but shows just how such an arrangement could work, and then throws in something I don't think I saw elsewhere till some of Ursala K. LeGuin's stories - just what constitutes the no-no's, the 'dirty' aspects of their sex lives. And these aspects, when viewed in terms of the whole life cycle of this species, make sense! A truly remarkable achievement, and I wish he had written more about this remarkable universe and its inhabitants.

The third section returns to our universe, and deals with how free investigation into reality guided by leaps of intuition can overcome even two separate hide-bound organizations, and naturally leads to the resolution of the problems introduced in the earlier sections. This section is not quite as strong as the other two, but does definitely develop one of Asimov's points: the characteristics of the universe we live in are determined by several seemingly random constants, from the strength of quark-quark interactions to the speed of light, and changing any of them would result in very radically different universes.

A strong novel, with some excellent characterization within each section, and based on a solid bedrock of real science. This is possibly the best stand-alone fiction work that he wrote, and should be placed on your shelves right next the Foundation and Robot series.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)


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